Batman

Who is that masked man? Briefly, the saga of Batman--subject of one of this summer's most-talked-about movies--goes like this: It is 1938, and Superman is the most popular character at DC Comics. But, they'd like another . . . Bob Kane, an 18-year-old artist who once worked for Max Fleisher Studios (home of Popeye and Betty Boop), is asked to come up with one. Kane thinks about a Leonardo da Vinci drawing he once saw, of a man wearing bat-like wings. And he recalls favorite childhood movies, "The Mark of Zorro" and "The Bat."

The nurses on the 20th floor were the first to see them. "Oh my goodness," declared Colleen Forrester, 29, a nurse dressed in green scrubs, who pointed to the windows. Other nurses came to look and laughed. Were the children strong enough to come see? Soon, parents and nurses were leading kids out of their rooms. The children were small and frail-looking. Most were undergoing treatment for cancer and other serious disorders. But on this cold April morning, they had a precious moment of distraction.

Paramount Pictures' "Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol" got off to a strong start at the box office this weekend — but how much of that had to do with the teaser for "The Dark Knight Rises" that played before the movie? The Christopher Nolan-directed Batman film, out this summer, is expected to be one of 2012's biggest box office draws — so hard-core fans might have rushed out to get an early glimpse of the Warner Bros.' superhero movie this weekend. Still, the teaser — dubbed a "prologue" — was playing on only about 40 of the 300 IMAX screens where "Mission" was playing this weekend, meaning it's unlikely the preview boosted the film's $13-million haul substantially.

Lorenzo Semple Jr. was one of the hottest screenwriters in Hollywood in the 1970s and '80s, working on star-studded films such as "Papillon," with Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman; "Three Days of the Condor," headlined by Robert Redford; and "Never Say Never Again," Sean Connery's last movie as James Bond. But, rare in the trade, Semple didn't much mind if he was not the sole writer on a film. "Almost all the good scripts I've been involved in, I've been fired off of for one reason or another," he said in a 2011 video interview conducted by the Writers Guild Foundation.

DC Entertainment has asked retailers to delay the release of its comic book "Batman Inc. " No. 3 due to sensitivities in the wake of theColorado movie-theater shooting. The company behind Superman, Wonder Woman and"Watchmen" sent a letter to retailers requesting that they withhold the issue, which has already been printed and shipped with a scheduled Wednesday shelf date. "Out of respect for the victims and families in Aurora, Colorado, DC Entertainment has made the decision to postpone the release of 'Batman Inc.' No. 3 for one month because the comic contains content that may be perceived as insensitive in light of recent events," the letter stated.

For proof of income inequality in America, look no further than the take-home pay of Batman and Spider-Man . Bruce Wayne is a 1 percenter, with an estimated annual income of $102 million. And that excludes the potential extra riches to be had from stock options. Spider-Man, by contrast, can't afford a Batmobile. He's clinging to a modest $50,000-a-year salary - barely enough to cover his tuition at New York University. The figures come courtesy of a blogger at H&R Block and appear to have as much - or as little - basis in reality as the comic strips themselves.

There are few Roman Catholics more prominent in the media than Stephen Colbert, so it makes sense that the "Colbert Report" host would jump all over reports that Pope Francis sneaks out of the Vatican at night, disguised as a regular priest, to minister to the homeless. "He's a vigilante vicar," Colbert declared of the reports, which the pope himself will not confirm. "Coming to the help of those in need? He's the Batpope!" And now that you mention it, he kind of is like Batman.

Being the Dark Knight isn't easy on the body or soul. The job also weighs heavy on the wallet. The total cost of the Batman persona rings in at $682,451,350 -- and that doesn't include the $7-billion Wayne Enterprises, according to an infographic from MoneySupermarket.com Bruce Wayne's home, which had to be rebuilt to the tune of $600 million after being destroyed, requires $37,000 to run each year. He's got vehicles worth $80 million. The Tumbler vehicle alone, which is outfitted with front-mounted machine guns, GPS and has stealth and self-destruct capabilities, goes for $18 million.

So Michael Keaton has been cast as Batman/Bruce Wayne (Cinefile, by Leonard Klady, June 26)? He might have made a good Joker, but his comic style, which he seems unable to shake (but can amplify), has doomed this promised "serious" treatment of Bob Kane's character to the same tired, boring level of artificial "camp" that made the TV series a hit yet simultaneously doomed it to an early cancellation. The painful lesson of "Superman III"--when you don't treat venerable superheroes with respect the audience rejects the property--has been ignored in this cynical, opportunistic attempt to capitalize on the success of "Beetlejuice" (same director, same star)

Whenever Hollywood makes a movie from a well-loved story or saga - Batman, Tolkien, "50 Shades of Grey" - there's usually a period of ... well ... let's call it adjustment , along with a "spirited" give-and-take among fans over such things as casting, content and approach. Usually, though, the material's devotees don't believe the filmmakers will burn in hell if their ideas are ignored. (OK ... maybe the Dark Knight crowd does. We all know they can get a little intense.) But that's precisely the belief with "Noah," Darren Aronofsky's $130-million retelling of the Old Testament account of apocalyptic deluge and a floating ark that opens on March 28. The same people who gripe that Hollywood never makes any faith-based movies are complaining because Hollywood has gone and made a religious movie, albeit one that might not be as literal-minded as they'd like.

Of the many unexpected moments in Phil Lord and Chris Miller's breakout hit "The Lego Movie," perhaps none is as surprising as the film's ending, which is daring even by the standards of this unconventional film. So daring, in fact, that even its filmmakers weren't sure they could get away with it. "We were terrified," said Miller. "We didn't know if you would care about the universe once you understood how the universe worked," alluding to how the movie turns itself inside-out at the end. PHOTOS: Images from 'The Lego Movie' In a season in which the typically tricky art of the movie ending has largely satisfied - witness the well-regarded twist in "American Hustle," the Quaalude-enabled piece de resistance of "The Wolf of Wall Street" and the return-to-Earth redemption of "Gravity" - the finale of "Lego" may top them all. Warner Bros., which financed and released "The Lego Movie," was also unsure about the finale and for a time pushed the filmmakers to consider a more conventional path.

Filmgoers who've seen “The Lego Movie” since it came out last weekend have no doubt been tickled by the movie's pop-culture shout-outs. Batman, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Shaquille O'Neal and Gandalf are among those getting loving (and not-so-loving) homages in the new animated movie. In fact, there are so many outside references in the Warner Bros. film that one can't imagine that directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller wanted any other charcaters. But they did, and it's a doozy.

Emmy Award-winning director Robert Butler was looking over his list of credits recently in preparation for the UCLA Film & Television Archive's "Evening With Robert Butler" celebration Thursday at the Billy Wilder Theater. "I won't be coy," confessed the 86-year-old Butler. "I looked at the list and was staggered. I never really totaled them up. " FOR THE RECORD: Robert Butler: An article in the Calendar section elsewhere in this edition about TV director Robert Butler says that UCLA Film & Television Archive's "An Evening With Robert Butler" will be Jan. 23 at the Billy Wilder Theater.

With Batman, Gandalf and Luke Skywalker all making appearances - and, of course, with constant references to the titular toy - "The Lego Movie" may be one of the biggest brand barrages Hollywood has unleashed on the American filmgoing public in recent memory. With an undercurrent of anti-totalitarianism, a suggestion that big corporations keep us numb with empty entertainment and even self-mocking references to dud Lego products, the film also may be one of the more meta and subversive movies Hollywood has unleashed on the American filmgoing public in recent memory.

Josh Brolin plays an escaped convict who reawakens the sensual side of a withdrawn single mother (Kate Winslet) in Jason Reitman's lovely romance, "Labor Day," which will play a one-week awards qualifying run starting Dec. 27 before opening in theaters Jan. 31. Over a leisurely lunch, Brolin, one of Hollywood's great interviews, talked about the role and its challenges and being considered for "Batman. " Reitman says he had to "re-learn" his filmmaking process for "Labor Day," moving from relying on talk to an emphasis on stillness.

The apartment of the suspect in the Colorado theater rampage was decorated with Batman items and crisscrossed with waist-high trip wires attached to more than 30 improvised grenades strewn across the living room floor, a law enforcement official close to the case said Sunday. Nearby were 10 gallons of gasoline “to enhance the thermal effect.” The suspect, James Holmes, 24, is accused of opening fire at a midnight showing of the latest Batman movie,"The Dark Knight Rises. " Twelve people were killed in the attack; 58 were injured.

Ben Affleck learned the hard way that it's never a good idea to read Internet comments. The actor, who set off a furious fanboy backlash when he was cast as Batman in the upcoming "Man of Steel" sequel last month, responded to his haters during a visit Monday to "Late Night. " Affleck told host Jimmy Fallon that even he was skeptical when he was first approached about the role. "They called me up and said, 'Do you want to do this?' And I thought, 'Well, I'm not 25, man. Are you sure about this?

There are few Roman Catholics more prominent in the media than Stephen Colbert, so it makes sense that the "Colbert Report" host would jump all over reports that Pope Francis sneaks out of the Vatican at night, disguised as a regular priest, to minister to the homeless. "He's a vigilante vicar," Colbert declared of the reports, which the pope himself will not confirm. "Coming to the help of those in need? He's the Batpope!" And now that you mention it, he kind of is like Batman.

The cost of saving a city? For San Francisco, the tab for Batkid's heroic day is coming in at $105,000. Nearly 14,500 volunteers and adoring fans with signs turned out for 5-year-old Miles Scott, who has been battling lymphoblastic leukemia since he was 20 months old and wanted to spend the day as Batman. The Make-A-Wish Foundation , which planned the festivities, expected a few hundred volunteers to show up. But when thousands more arrived, Mayor Ed Lee's presentation of a chocolate key to the city was amped up with professional staging and big-screen TVs, bumping the cost to more than $105,000, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.